Birdseed, seedlings and that plant that smells horrible

I popped out this morning to put birdseed in the various feeders. Half an hour later I glance out of the window to see a large Woodpigeon waddling away and not a scrap of seed left on the unprotected ground feeder. I try deep yoga breathing….in out….in out….there, that’s better!

Later on I spend time making a space in the greenhouse so I could transfer the tomato seedlings from the conservatory. There is more all round light in the greenhouse and I don’t want the tomatoes to get too leggy. I transferred the heating pad as well so they are all cosy under propagator covers. I’ve left the peppers and chillies in the conservatory as it’s better in there for all round warmth, which they need.

While doing this I move some plants out of the greenhouse and shuffle others around. I go out of the greenhouse and then I go back in. What is that smell? It’s just like the smell of rot , reeking fetid rot…..and then I remember. It’s not rot that’s causing the smell, it’s a plant that I have a love hate relationship with - Tulbaghia violacea ‘Silver Lace’. All I’d done was move it to a different shelf but that was enough.

Have any of you got this plant? It’s not hardy in the UK so when I first got it I kept it in the conservatory. Gradually over a number of days a strange unpleasant smell permeated the air. Frankly I blamed one of the cats (such easy targets) until the Tulbaghia was put outside when the weather improved. The smell quickly disappeared. It’s very strange because the odour seems to build up around the plant when it is kept in an enclosed place, not when the foliage is crushed, or when flowering. Simply moving the plant is enough to set it off. To me the smell is truly, truly horrible but you’d never know if you saw it outdoors.

Why do I keep it? Because the narrow foliage is a very attractive greyish green with a white edge while the flowers are very elegant, pale lilac with a darker stripe on each petal. It is beautiful and worth having, as long as you don’t share a room with it. So I grit my teeth and hold my nose.